A 40-year-old BJP worker has allegedly killed a clash between two groups over the hoisting of the Tricolour at Khanakul village in Hooghly (Rural) district on Saturday.
According to police, the clash reportedly broke out when two groups wanted to hoist the national flag at the same spot on the occasion of Independence Day.
Protests broke out in the area over the death of the worker — identified as Sudarshan Pramanik. According to reports, protesters vandalised some local offices and also set two houses on fire.
Alleging that Pramanik was killed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers, the BJP’s state unit has called for a 12-hour bandh in the area on Sunday demanding arrests of those involved.
The TMC has dismissed the allegations and said Pramanik was killed as a fallout of an internal dispute in the BJP.
“A clash broke out in Khanakul, one person has been killed. A probe is on,” said Superintendent of Police Tathagata Basu. Eight people have been detained in connection with the violence so far.
Basu did not comment on the political affiliation of the groups. Residents said the groups first pelted stones at each other and a then clash with sticks broke out.
“They cannot stop the BJP like this by killing our workers. We condemn this incident in the strongest of terms. We will start a movement against this till the culprits are arrested,” said BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha.
The TMC dismissed the allegations. “They are trying to gain political mileage over this (Pramanik’s) death. It is a fallout of their internal feud,” said Hooghly TMC president Dilip Yadav.
Reacting to Pramanik’s death, BJP general secretary Jyotirmoy Singh said, “Sudarshan Pramanik, active party worker is killed by the #TMC goons today morning while hosting the national flag. @MamataOfficial Ji Will people not hoist the national flag in Bengal now?.”
